MAX

Okay, I would never admit this but, half of the movie my face was buried in Fang's shirt. All Fang did was stare at the TV with a bored expression on his face. Before I knew it we were on the fourth horror movie and I was still scared. Fang disappeared during a particularly scary part and jumped up out of nowhere with a golf club in his hand and a hockey mask on. "Roar!" he shouted.

I curled up in a ball and waiting for him to hit me, because I knew he would just like Jeb did with his golf club. But the pain never came. I glanced at where Fang had been, but now he was sitting next to me, the club on the ground, the mask on the table. He had a concerned look in his eyes as he brushed my hair back.

"What's wrong, Max?" Fang whispered. "I'm sorry, it was a joke, I didn't mean to make you cry." Cry? Only then did I feel the tears and realize I actually had been crying. Since when do I cry? He handed me a notepad and paper and I wrote a question down.

You aren't gonna hit me? Fang scanned the paper and a scowl appeared on his face.

"Of course not. Why? Has somebody hit you? Like besides the redhead dog?"

Yeah. I wrote. I didn't want to trust him, but something told me Fang would be a good friend. My dad beat me with a golf club a few times. I admitted.

"What? That's horrible! How could you let him do something like that!" Fang demanded. I felt more tears slide down my cheeks. It was a mistake coming here. I'm leaving. And with that I headed towards the stairs, wiping away the stupid tears. But the annoying Fang decided he wouldn't stand for it. He grabbed my arm and spun me around. "If you ever need to get away, you can come here." He whispered before letting my arm go.

Ninth Grade

That was the first and last day I really hung out with that we passed notes in math close for seventh, passed notes in theater for eighth. Now it was the first day of ninth grade, and it was all I could do to not look at him. Fang was the most popular guy in school. Everybody wanted him around. If he got detention, you can bet zillions that so did fifty percent of the school.

And on the very first day, that didn't change. We had theater together. Again. And when I got there, he was on the stage playing out some of his dance moves. He was good, I'll give him that/

"Hey Max! Come on over! I gotta show you something." My brain was set on taking a seat, but my feet had other ideas. I found myself walking up to Fang and having him pull me up on the stage with all his friends crowded around. Great. Just what I hate. Attention. I glanced from the chairs, to Fang, letting him know I wasn't comfortable.

"This is Max? You like her? What for? I mean sure her bo-" Fang kicked one of his friend's heads and I smirked a little as they tumbled backwards.

"Ignore James. He's not right in the head I'm afraid. I think I kicked him one too many times." Fang winked at me and spun me around. I didn't like being dizzy. But I sure was then. "So Maximum, What do you say we ditch tomorrow and go to a little party?" Fang casually did a free-king handstand and smiled at me upside down.

"You look like you're standing on the ceiling, you do a handstand too!" Fang decided. Oh this guy was impossible. Instead I shoved his legs and he fell on his back, still sporting that genuine smile that I'd never seen him give to anybody else.

"Oh come on sweetheart, don't play hard to get." Fang stood up and looked at me for a second. Did he realize his jerkiness? Maybe it was just me. Maybe Fang was really a great guy who actually liked a mute girl like James had said.

"I'm here, you guys can stop crying from loneliness now!" Iggy shouted, hopping up on stage and laughing maniacally. I rolled my eyes.

"Hey Ella!" Iggy suddenly hopped off the stage and landed in front of a pretty girl who in a way looked like me I guess.

"So Max, that party?" Fang grabbed my hand and swung them to obnoxious heights. I shrugged and looked at the people around. They all seemed intrigued in our conversation.

"Hey JackWeeds! Buzz off before the bee gets ya!" Everyone walked off except for Iggy. "Didn't you just here me, Igs? Bye." Fang snapped.

"No." Iggy muttered, then started laughing like a maniac again and rubbed his hands together. Fang tackled Iggy and they rolled around on the floor laughing. It took me a minute to realize they were playing around and that there would be no real harm done. I sighed and sat down, four more years with Fang.

Four more years with a total nutjob. Four more years with a guy who likes me. Four more years with the only one who's ever talked to me since everything. Just four more years, With Nicolas Ride, my best friend, my worst enemy, and everything in between.